The Colorado Springs GazetteThe Gazette is Colorado Springs's most trusted source for breaking news, sports, weather, obituaries, politics, business, art, entertainment, blogs, video, photos.Save this content for laterSave this content on your device for later, even while offlineSign in with GoogleSign in with your Google accountSign in with FacebookSign in with your Facebook accountClose

NBC anchor Williams: Sorry for Arsenio Hall snub

By: Associated Press

February 20, 2014Updated: February 20, 2014 at 7:44 am

0

FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2013 file photo, Arsenio Hall poses backstage at the Grammy Nominations Concert Live! at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, in Los Angeles. NBC News anchor Brian Williams made an on-air apology to Hall for leaving him out of a photo gallery of late-night hosts. In his newscast Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, Williams responded to the complaint that Hall had lodged the night before on "The Arsenio Hall Show." (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, file)

"Arsenio is a late-night veteran and he took us to task on his show and he even urged his audience members to call our newsroom," Williams said on his "Nightly News" telecast Wednesday from the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

"So, in apologizing to Arsenio we just wanted to point out: At least you're in good company here," Williams continued, noting that the newscast last year left New Hampshire off a map and on Tuesday misspelled Philadelphia on-screen.

Hall's exclusion came during what he called NBC News' "Brady Bunch montage" showing clips of virtually every late-night TV host, including David Letterman, Chelsea Handler and Carson Daly.

The video was used on Monday's "Nightly News" segment on "The Tonight Show" debut of Jimmy Fallon, also on NBC.

On Tuesday's syndicated "The Arsenio Hall Show," the host was smiling but clearly irked as he displayed the graphic and called out Williams and journalism in general.

"If you're doing a story about late-night, all I ask is that you mention me," Hall said. "You don't even have to use a photo. I know how journalism is these days. Use Samuel Jackson — it doesn't even have to be my photo. Use Laurence Fishburne. Just mention me."

Hall invoked the names of the two actors who were involved in another recent media mishap: A TV reporter interviewing Jackson apparently confused him with Fishburne. Both are black.

The late-night landscape is nearly all white, with a few exceptions including Hall and PBS' Tavis Smiley.

"There's nobody even with a tan," Hall said of the montage shown by NBC News.

Hall, saying he's the only current late-night host "who competed and survived against Johnny Carson," said he had no grudge with his other hosts. Hall's new show debuted in September; his original late-night show aired from 1989 until 1994, when Carson hosted "Tonight."

Saying he didn't want to play the "angry black man," Hall invited a friend on stage to help out so that Williams and others in journalism would "include a brother."

Marion "Suge" Knight, founder of Death Row Records, suggested that Hall give Williams enough time to respond before making him face the consequences.

"Change it or resign?" Hall responded. "We might just be kidding, Brian. You know, sometimes I take the joke too far. Just mention me, man."